Humidifier nozzle arrangements for hot air furnace plenums and control systems for such nozzles are known in the commercial and patented prior art. Generally speaking, the known humidifier nozzle mountings are not readily adaptable to all of the various duct and plenum configurations which are encountered in present day warm air heating systems. As a result, some of the available humidifier nozzle units must be structurally altered and in some cases cannot be readily adapted to some plenum and duct arrangements. In other cases, the atomizing nozzle proper is mounted on a bendable copper tube to allow for the necessary adjustment of the nozzle. This arrangement is somewhat fragile as well as makeshift or crude. No known atomizing humidifier nozzle assembly is readily adaptable to all, or nearly all, plenum and duct arrangements encountered in the field, and it is the object of this invention to provide a humidifier nozzle mounting which is universal in the sense of ready adaptability to virtually any type of furnace plenum configuration. The invention features a mounting box or housing for the humidifier nozzle and connected solenoid valve unit which may be indexed in ninety degree steps on the wall of a furnace plenum to accommodate different plenum and duct shapes and different furnace air flow patterns. At any indexed position, a flange carried by the box forms a convenient hinge joint with a mounting strip extending across an opening in the adjacent plenum wall. This hinged arrangement facilitates servicing the invention without the necessity of completely separating it from the plenum wall.
To further achieve universality in the mounting of this type of humidifier nozzle on furnace plenums, the nozzle and connected valve assembly are adjustably secured to a wall of the box in such a way that the angularity of the nozzle in one plane can be varied through a considerable arc for reasons to be described in the following detailed description.
The entire invention features simplicity and economy as well as convenience and ruggedness. Conventional control components are utilized. Efficiency of operation is enhanced by the versatility of the invention in terms of being able to position the humidifier nozzle at the optimum operating location and angle in all cases.
The following U.S. patents of general interest are noted herein under 37 C.F.R. 1.56:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,102,736, 2,464,958, 3,515,348.